PHOENIX, Ariz. — Talk is cheap. It takes money to buy whiskey.

My dad, Chuck, didn’t invent that phrase, but he likes to use it. He doesn’t even drink much whiskey, but he has passed along the words of wisdom to my sisters and me over the years. He figured there was something for us to learn from it.

The takeaway? Words don’t require much. Action does. Saying you will do something is easier than actually following through and doing it.

Nate Oats has demonstrated the easy and hard parts of that phrase through the process that ended with him reaffirming his commitment to Alabama basketball this week. With John Calipari reportedly expected to depart for Arkansas, coaching search rumors connected Oats to the Kentucky opening almost immediately considering his SEC and NCAA Tournament success.